Abstract

Introduction - Standard treatment of Inguinal hernia is Mesh Hernioplasty. Inguinodynia and foreign body sensation of mesh are major concerns affecting life activities. Western literature revealed Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) to be more relevant in assessing Quality of Life (QOL) in hernia cases in comparison to commonly used SF-36. Studies on QOL after hernia surgery in Indian population are scarce. Therefore, a prospective observational study was conducted. Method - QOL was assessed using SF-36 and CCS in 100 cases of uncomplicated Inguinal Hernia undergoing Open Mesh Hernioplasty. QOL was measured pre-operatively, at one month and six months post-operatively. Finally, they were asked to rate the questionnaire in terms of ease of understanding, liking, better suitability and preference of questionnare in relation to mesh. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Version 21.0. The values were represented in Number (%) and Mean ± SD. Results - Majority of patients found CCS to be more likeable, as compared to SF-36 (94.0%), easy to understand (98.0%), preference to fill if given a choice (94.0%) and more reflective of problems of mesh (100.0%). For assessment of concurrent validity between CCS and SF-36, two scales were correlated and an inverse and mild correlation was observed between the two. Conclusion -Above findings indicate that CCS can be used to assess the Quality of Life of Inguinal Hernia patients, as it is more patient friendly and capable of dealing with specific problems of Mesh.

Description

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